


By the Lake

by bluemermaid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/F, First War with Voldemort, Implied Infidelity Even Though In My Mind James and Lily are Just Friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2015-02-21
Packaged: 2018-03-14 00:42:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3402164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluemermaid/pseuds/bluemermaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A secret rendezvous.</p>
            </blockquote>





	By the Lake

**Author's Note:**

> a rarepair_shorts piece

The stars light her way, as she slips out the back door and heads down towards the lake. There is a cool breeze on this warm summer's night, and Alice feels a thrill shiver through her, as goosebumps ripple up along her arms and legs.

Kneeling, Alice slips a hand into the lake, letting the cool water slide over her skin. It soothes her; water always soothes her. Alice sits, tucking her robes beneath her, and dreams, briefly, of her future, where she will be safe and happy, and live in a house just like this one, with a lake in its backyard. She does not know who will live there with her.

The night is quiet, and Alice begins to worry, thinking that perhaps she has misunderstood. Perhaps she isn't supposed to be out here on this particular night; perhaps she isn't supposed to be out here at all. It would make sense; it would be safe and easy if this were not happening. But nothing in Alice's life is safe and easy anymore.

She wants to leave, go back to her bedroom and back to her reality, where she is alone in the darkness with the constant terror all around her. The war is long and painful but at least it makes a sort of sense. Alice feels a sense of purpose when she is out there battling the forces of evil. She feels that she's doing something worthwhile, and it is so much stronger than any silly ideas she ever had about her future back at Hogwarts. Back at Hogwarts, she hadn't envisioned a future at all. She certainly never imagined that she could be brave enough to duel a pack of ruthless killers. And yet, she is still frightened of meeting a girl outside by moonlight. Alice shakes her head, and laughs at herself.

The lake ripples under the light of the stars, and the moon is a golden sliver above her. Alice leans back and looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath and reassuring herself. She is supposed to be here; she is supposed to be happy. Her partner will come.

And then there is the sound of footsteps on the grass, and Alice's heart begins to race, as she turns to watch as Lily approaches. Her hair flows freely in the wind, and her smile is electrifying. Even the way she walks is alluring; there is a slight bounce in Lily's step.

There is a rush of whispers, reassurances and giggles, the sort of nervous laughter young girls have when they aren't sure of themselves, when they are worried about their next step. Lily and Alice sit next to one another on the grass and touch the water, flick droplets at one another and grin in the dark, their teeth lit dimly by the light of the moon and the stars above them. Alice knows that in the morning, Lily will sit beside James for the meeting, and she will touch his hand then. But right now, in the night, Lily is here beside Alice, and that is all right.

They will work it all out later, when the dust settles and the war is over, when Lily is free from her confusion. They will decide then what to do, how to deal with James Potter's advances. Lily is fond of him, but she will not touch him this way, as she slides her hand slowly up Alice's thigh. She will not kiss him like this, gasping into Alice's mouth as their tongues meet. She will not sit beside James outside the safe house, by the lake at midnight.

Alice runs her fingers through Lily's soft hair and tries not to think about the future, where she will not know where to stand. She thinks about the now, about Lily's comforting presence beside her, and she tries her best to be happy.


End file.
